Mobile Base on a Drill Press: Yes or No?

[Anil Kalagatla]

Hi:

I recently bought a Powermatic PM2800 drill press (~200lb) and was wondering if putting this on a mobile base is a bad idea. The manual actually says not to put this on a mobile base! But I remember seeing a couple of folks putting these top heavy machines on mobile bases (I'm not able to find those posts for some reason).

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks
Anil

[Gary Herrmann]

I didn't put mine on a mobile base. Just didn't feel safe to me.

[Bill Fleming]

I put mine on a mobile base - no problems when set in place - of course you need to be careful when moving but that is not often and much better that the "rocking on the edge" of fixed base for those times when it needs to be moved to provide more room for usage, etc.

Bill

[Jason Beam]

My intention, one day, will be to build a mobile base with a larger footprint than it's standard base. Preferably with dimensions that are around it's actual space footprint with the add-on table I built. This should give me around 18x24" of base rather than the 10x15 or so. By extending the wheelbase, I'm hoping it will counter some of that top-heaviness.

[Scott Loven]

I put mine on a 2'*3' piece of plywood and stand on the plywood when I use it. I can drag it around if I need to.

Scott

[Steven Wilson]

I had, but then I removed the mobil base - just not steady enough with my garage floor. Instead, I added some good leveling feet and took my time setting up the machine so that its stable.

[Steve Sawyer]

Put mine on a mobile base w/no problems. The base is home-made from 2x4's so it's rock solid. Two fixed wheels in the back and rests directly on the floor in front. I lift the front with a broom-handled jigger with a couple of fixed casters on it and a hook that catches a "U" bolt sticking out the front.

Yeah, you need to exercise some common sense when moving it - not too fast, no sharp changes in direction, make sure the floor is clear when doing so, keep one hand on the column or the quill or the table or something.

I couldn't have a DP if I couldn't move it easily when I need to, which is often.

[Jim Becker]

I have one under mine...necessary to move it around in my shop...but I'm darn careful when I'm doing so. DPs are very top-heavy. ;) Ideally, they would not be on a mobile base or one would move it (carefully) with a hand truck.

[Doug Shepard]

Mine's on a mobile base but it's almost impossible to move without one. Roughly 600 Lbs or so. There's a lot of cast iron down low as well as up top so tippiness isnt a problem.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=185091&postcount=3

[Anil Kalagatla]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Since I'm sure I won't install the DP in its ideal location the first time, I will probably go ahead and put it on a mobile base. But I will probably try to increase the footprint to as wide as possible and make it a little less top heavy (by loading the base with bricks or sand). Hopefully that will make it less tippy.

Anil

[Bob Wingard]

If you make your own base, try using three wheels instead of four. The tripod effect will keep it steady even on floors that arent level.

[Benjamin Dahl]

I have a mobile base and threw a 75lb. bag of sand on the foot to help with stability.

[glenn bradley]

I can't speak for that particular DP but, here's mine:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57448

[Anil Kalagatla]

I can't speak for that particular DP but, here's mine:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57448

Glenn:

Thanks for the link. This was the post I was looking for, but couldn't find (I've bookmarked it now :-). I think I'm going to copy your solution. Are you using an HTC-1000 base there?

Thanks
Anil

[Basil Rathbone]

I am more interested in what you think of your PM 2800. I don't think they are available in Canada but from what I have heard, I wish they were.

As to your question, I have just read the manual for a Steel City DP and it says not to mount it on a mobile base. It may just be a CYA statement, but having one even remotely able to fall over doesn't sound like a good idea.

Basil

[Dave MacArthur]

Anil,
Here is a similar thread with some decent info contained in it on mobile bases. I was asking about dust collection, but several folks had good ideas on mobile bases for a drill press:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=597075

I ended up attaching my drill press (16.5" delta floor) to a 3/4" plywood sheet 3" bigger all the way around than the base, and then bolting THAT to a HTC mobile base. It is quite stable, and very nice to be able to roll that thing around! The DP is one tool that can do well (most of the time) in an unused corner, but then you need clearance one day... must have it mobile.
Good luck!

[glenn bradley]

Glenn:

Thanks for the link. This was the post I was looking for, but couldn't find (I've bookmarked it now :-). I think I'm going to copy your solution. Are you using an HTC-1000 base there?

Thanks
Anil

The base is an HTC Universal Adjustable Base. I got it on sale long before I got the DP. It was at Rockler for $25 and it is worth about that. Your DP is a little heavier than mine (190-odd pounds for mine) and I would want a better base.

I only move mine small amounts and usually just pivot left or right as required for longer stock so I'm good. If I planned to roll it across the shop I would probably become disenchanted rather quickly.

Other than that, the weight in the base makes it very stable and I have no fear of tipping. You can adjust the width and depth of your base to achieve the height that you are comfortable with. Mine is about 21" x 24" x 4.5" outside dimensions, made of 3/4" material and with the internal baffles it holds 90 pounds of redi-crete without any room left over.

[Dave MacArthur]

In fact, Glenn's base and mobile solution were instrumental to me building mine, also ;)

[Rob Will]

I would weld up some 3" angle iron to make a base wider than the DP but not too much deeper. 3 x 5 angle iron flipped up and outward on the sides to accomodate casters. Two fixed casters in the rear, two locking swivel casters in the front. Pour the base full of concrete and paint it, concrete and all.

Rob

[Eddie Darby]

If the DP is bolted to the wooden base, and that is in turn bolted to the mobile base, then it seems to me that you have increased the footprint size of the base. I did this to my 16 1/2" DP with a ShopFox base that has the ability to lower 2 feet onto the shop floor, to keep it from moving when in use.

Four years later still no problems. I just make sure that I control the top of the DP when I decide to give it some exercise by walking it around the shop.

If I was doing it all over again, I think the addition of the weigh to lower the center of gravity is a real nice idea!!!!:) Thanks Glenn.

[Michael McCoy]

Ditto the HD ShopFox. Drill is bolted to a ply base and the ply bolted to the ShopFox base. I also built a cabinet for all the drill bits and drill accessories so the weight is pretty well balanced.

[Bernhard Lampert]

I have all my equipment on some type of mobile base including the drill press. I mounted leveling casters (Zambus) on 2 pieces of heavy agle iron. The angle iron bolts into the existing holes of the drill press floor plate. Since the casters are outside the floor plate, the drill press is more stable than w/o. I also use leveling casters, so the equipment is actually resting on the leveling foot when in use.
Cheers,
Bernhard

[Rod Sheridan]

I fabricated a T shaped base for my drill press out of 2 " X 2" X 3/16" hot rolled steel angle.

The back of the base is about 28 " wide with a 6" wheel at each side.

The front of the base is only slightly wider than the drill press base, and has casters under it.

The drill press drops down into the angle frame, then it is bolted to the frame.

The wide back stance, long depth, and narrow front make it stable, and leave room for my feet when I'm using it. The base is stable when being moved.

Regards, Rod.

[Bob Feeser]

I can't speak for that particular DP but, here's mine:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57448

They say a picture says a thousand words, well your pic says it all. I used the same mobile base, but the important thing is that you mounted your wheels to the outside of the base, on the left and right, thereby creating a larger footprint where it counts, and I did it the same way. I did not create a wooden base for mine. although I am sure that adds even more to the stability. I have a poured concrete floor, so I am not moving my drill press over any rough terrain, but move it frequently, to access a storage cabinet.
In plain words, the footprint increases with the mobile base if you install the feet to the sides. The drill press is a lot deeper than it is wide. So to topple it over front to back is difficult, but side to side is more vulnerable, so the wider footprint on the sides counters that.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Machine tools and wheels are IMNSHO a bad mix unless you can lower the machine to get it off the wheels.

I recall a supremely good (& heavy) caster that uses a mechanism that lowers the machine down onto a heavy rubber pad instead of trying to lock the wheel. Or maybe it lowers the pad I forget which brand it was weird name I think it began with a Z

[Jim McCarty]

Machine tools and wheels are IMNSHO a bad mix unless you can lower the machine to get it off the wheels.

I recall a supremely good (& heavy) caster that uses a mechanism that lowers the machine down onto a heavy rubber pad instead of trying to lock the wheel. Or maybe it lowers the pad I forget which brand it was weird name I think it began with a Z
Was it Zzzyzx?

[glenn bradley]

Zambus:

http://www.zambus.com/

[Bill Wyko]

I just picked up a PM2800 today. How do you like yours? I think I'm going to get the mobile base too. I hope this thing is worth it. I'd appreciate any input you have to offer.:)

[Bob Feeser]

I wanted to share a couple of pictures. Here is the top end of the drill press, a Craftsman 34" Radial Drill press, made for woodworking as I understand it, because the head telescopes, as well as tilts

http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/6096/2805785550100733997S600x600Q85.jpg


Below is the mobile base HTC-2000 without any other sub-structure. To tell you the truth, it is not even bolted to the base, but rather just sitting there. It doesn't slide around at all, so I left it that way.


http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/4398/2011217520100733997S600x600Q85.jpg


As you can see, from the first pic, the weight of the DP is pressing forward, so they designed the base with a much larger front to back footprint, than side to side. By placing the mobile base on it, with the wheels on the side, it actually increases the footprint. So rather than creating a liability, it actually reduces one.
So when you drop it down onto its rubber feet, the footprint is equal to the original bases. When you go to move it, by lifting/locking it onto its wheels, the footprint increases. That is fortunate, because moving it is the only time you really need to be concerned. The floor it is rolling around on is very flat, so I never get the feeling that it is going to topple over.